High alumina refractory composition

ABSTRACT

Ceramically bonded high alumina refractory comprising A12O3, MgO and Cr2O3, the molar ratio of the MgO to Cr2O3 between 1:1 and 2.5:1, said refractory microscopically characterized by coarse alumina grains having Cr2O3 in solid solution, said alumina grains knitted together by a solid solution of MgO.A12O3.Cr2O3 spinel.

United States Patent inventor Frederick J. Teeter Pittsburgh, Pa. App]. No. 45,221 Filed June 10, 1970 Patented Oct. 26, 1971 Assignee Dresser Industries, Inc.

' Dallas, Tex.

HIGH ALUMINA REFRACTORY COMPOSITTON 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.s.c| 106/59,

106/62, 106/65, 106/66 Int. Cl c040 35/10 Field of Search 106/62, 65,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,192,058 6/1965 Davies et a1. 106/66 Primary Examiner-James E. Poer Att0rneys-R0bert W. Mayer, Thomas P. Hubbard, J r., Daniel Rubin, Raymond T. Majesko, Roy L. Van Winkle, William E. Johnson, Jr. and Eddie E. Scott 1 HIGH ALUNIINA REFRACTORY COMPOSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This is a continuation-in-part of application, Ser. No. 71 1,305, filed Mar. 7, I968 now abandoned.

Refractory brick are classified as acid and basic. Acid refractories are those that tend to resist the corrosive action of acid slags but are attacked by basic slags. Acid refractories include those prepared from silica, fireclay and high alumina refractory materials. They differ in chemical analysis primarily in their alumina1silica ratio. The composition having the highest melting point in the alumina system is pure alumina. In view of this, it is indeed surprising that 99 percent Al,0 refractory brick (the purest that are commercially produced) are not the most refractory acid brick. (Refractoriness is generally defined as the ability to resist compressive loads at elevated temperatures.) As taught in U.S. PAT. No. 3,067,050, special silica additions to high-purity alumina grain provide improved refractoriness. Also, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,058, special chromic oxide additions to high-purity alumina brick improve refractoriness. Applicant has found yet another way to make high-purity alumina brick more refractory. Brick made according to applicant's teachings are especially useful in lining blast furnace walls in the areas of most severe wear.

Good refractoriness or ability to withstand loads at elevated temperatures is only one of several properties that refractory brick should desirably have. Slag resistance or ability to resist the erosion and corrosion of the slags contacting the brick is necessary. Also, dimensional stability is obviously essential. It is an object of this invention to provide a high-purity alumina refractory having good refractoriness, good resistance to acid slags, and a slight reheat expansion which promotes dimensional stability by counteracting load subsidence.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a ceramically bonded refractory is provided which consists of between 80 and 95 percent Al,0,, the remainder excluding less than 1 percent incidental impurities comprising MgO and C50,. The molar ratio of the MgO to Cr,O is between [:1 and 25:1. Typically, the shapes are prepared from a batch comprising size-graded, Bayer process calcined alumina, often referred to as tabular alumina. In a typical size-grading, at least about 50 percent of the tabular is greater than 65 mesh and the remainder is smaller than 65 mesh. Optimum size gradings of refractories batches are well known in the refractories art. To this batch are added fine (minus 65 mesh) magnesia and Cr,O yielding materials. Preferably, the MgO yielding material is ball milled, dead burned magnesite and the Cr,0 yielding material pigment grade chromic oxide. Such chromic oxide comprises a substantial portion less than 1 micron in size. This size-graded batch comprising tabular alumina, magnesia-yielding materials and Cr,0 yielding'materials is then mixed with a tempering agent and a binder and pressed into shapes which are thereafter dried and burned at temperatures in excess of about 2,800F. Preferably, the brick are burned at temperatures in excess of 3,000 F. A microstructure of brick according to this invention is characterized by coarse alumina grains having Cr,0 in solid solution, said alumina grains knitted together by a solid solution of MgO'Al,O;, spinel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a photomicrograph of example I, which is the best mode known for the practice of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a photomicrograph of example ll.

FIG. 3 is a photomicrograph of example III.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Further features and other objects and advantages of this invention will become clear to those skilled in the art by a careful study of the following detailed description.

In this specification and appended claims, all percentages and ratios and parts are by weight; chemical analyses were obtained by spectrographic analysis with control by wet chemical analysis and are reported as oxides in accordance with the present practice of the refractories industry. All sizings are measured by the Tyler screen series. Three exemplary mixes were prepared from the batches given in the following table,

TABLE I Example I II III Tabular Alumina 6IIO 20% 20% 20% l0/28 30 30 30 28/65 l0 l0 I0 65 25 30 20 Chromic Oxide l0 l0 l0 Magnesium Oxide 5 l0 Dextrin Added 2 2 2 Water Added 3.20 3.25 3.70

TABLE II Example: I II III Bulk Density, pcf I95 I98 I Modulus of Rupture, p.s.i.

At Room Temperature 5,750 5.4l0 3,690 Apparent Porosity I799; 1.0% 20.8%

Reheat 3.300" F.

Linear Change +0.6 -0.2 H .5

Volume Change +1.5 l.2 +4.7 Load Test, 25 p.s.i. (Av. 2)

Linear Subsidence at 3,200 F.

minute hold): 0.5% 0.0% l.l% Drip Slag Test, 300 grams of Blast Furnace Slag at 2,700 F.

Erosion, cc. 7 7 not tested Spectrochemical Analysis Silica (Siofl 014% 0.06% 019% Alumina (Al,0,) balance Titania (Ti0,) 0.02 0.02 0.03

Iron Oxide (Fe,0,) 0.2l 0.29 0. l 6

Chromic Oxide (Cr,0,) l0,7 l0.4 l0.5

Lime (C80) 017 0.08 0.30

Magnesia (MgO) 4.8 0.04 9.3

Example I is the best mode now known for the practice of this invention. For comparison, example II is made according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,058 and example III is made with an excess of magnesia.

Example I demonstrates that brick made according to this invention have superior strength. This is attributed to their excellent density and well-knit microstructure. Brick, according to this invention, also have excellent refractoriness. By way of comparison, a 99 percent Al,() brick without special additions would have a subsidence between 4 and 6 percent in the 3,200 F. load test. In addition to strength at room temperature, the feature of brick according to this invention (example I), which distinguishes this from brick of example II, is the controlled slight reheat expansion. Brick linings must remain in compression to avoid separation at joints. Hence, a controlled reheat (permanent) expansion is very necessary.

The ratio of MgO to Cr,0 in the fine fraction of brick batches according to this invention is considered critical. If the ratio of MgO to Cr,0 is excessive, the brick will have a large burning and reheat growth which cannot be controlled. This growth is believed the result of an expansive reaction between MgO and A1 Referring now to the figures, it is apparent from FIG. 1, which is a photomicrograph of a polished section of example I, according to this invention (original magnification 225X) that a proper magnesia and chrome addition provide a high alumina refractory with a microstructure characterized by large alumina refractory with a microstructure characterized by large alumina grains containing substantial amounts of chromic oxide in solid solution AC (light grey areas) knitted together by an MgO-A l,O;,-Cr O spinel SP (dark grey areas).

Compare FIG. 1 with FIG. 2 which is a photomicrograph of example ll. This example, of course, does not have a spinel matrix. (Black areas are voids.) FIG. 3 is a photomicrograph of example lll and shows an even more extensive spinel matrix. However, there are far too many large voids (black areas). These voids result from the extreme expansive reaction between magnesia and alumina when the ratio of the magnesia to chrome ore is excessive. For example, high-alumina brick made from a batch comprising tabular alumina and 5 percent dead burned magnesite ball mill fines was found to have a density ofonly 166 p.c.f.

TABLE lll Silica sio, 37% Lime (CaO) 40% 9% Magnesia (MgO) Others (by difference) Examples l and ll were resistant to the slag. Only 7 ccs. of refractory were washed from either sample. By way of comparison, most high-alumina refractories lose from 30 to 50 ccs. in the test. It is surprising that the magnesia addition (magnesia is considered basic) does not reduce the resistance to acid slag.

It is preferred, according to this invention, that the magnesia-yielding materials be dead burned magnesite which are ball milled so that at least 50 percent passes 65 mesh. The magnesia should typically analyze in excess of 90 percent MgO. Small amounts of hydrated magnesia are, of course, suitable. Preferably, according to this invention, the Cr O used is that which is known as pigment grade and is primarily used as a pigment, and to some extent as a metallurgical source of chromium metal. Such C 0, used according to the concepts of this invention is a very finely divided powder. The separate and discrete particles of the material average between about 1 and 5 microns in diameter and are remarkably uniform in this range. Such Cr;,0 materials are insoluble. Widely accepted specifications for such Cr,O are: purity minimums-97 percent, water insoluble impurities maximum0.5 percent, volatile impurities maximum0.5 percent, volatile impurities-0.5 percent. The specific gravity is about 5.1 to 5.2. The alumina used for the practice of this invention is referred to as tabular alumina. Tabular alumina is aluminum oxide converted to the corundum form by heating to temperatures slightly below the fusion point of aluminum oxide (3,700 F The name tabular is applied because of the flat tabletlike crystal facets visible in rough, broken particles. Tabular alumina is characterized by high-chemical purity, that is, in excess of 99 percent A1 0 high density that is approximately 4 grams/cc., and a high melting point approaching 3,700 F. Small amounts of hydrated alumina or lightly calcined aluminas may be included in batches according to teachings of this invention.

In this specification, bulk density was measured by ASTM Cl34-l4. Apparent porosity was measured by ASTM test C2046. Modulus of rupture at room temperature was measured by ASTM Test Cl33-55. Load test or refractories under load at high temperature was measured by ASTM Test C16-62. Finally, the reheat change was tested according to ASTM Test Cl 13-61.

Having thus described the invention in detail, and with sufficient particularity as to enable those skilled in the art to prac tice it, what is desired to have protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims:

I claim:

1. Ceramically'bonded refractory consisting of between and 95 percent A1 0 the remainder excluding less than 1 percent incidental impurities, comprising MgO and C50 the molar ratio of MgO to Cr O being between lzl and 2.5: l said brick microscopically characterized by coarse alumina grains having Cr O in solid solution, said alumina grains knitted together by a solid solution of MgOAl O -cr o spine].

2. A method of making ceramically bonded refractory comprising the steps of:

l. preparing the batch comprising 80 to percent sizegraded alumina, the remainder on a calcined oxide basis finely divided MgO yielding materials and chromic oxideyielding materials, the molar ratio of MgO to Cr O; being between 111 and 25:1,

2. tempering the batch with a temporary binder and a tempering fluid,

3. shaping the refractory,

4. burning the refractory in excess of 2,800 E, whereby said refractory develops a microstructure characterized by coarse alumina grains having C O, in solid solution, said alumina grains knitted together by a solid solution of MgOCr Bli'Al o spine].

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the alumina is sized so that at least 50 percent rests on 65 mesh and the remainder passes 65 mesh.

4. The method according to claim 2 in which the MgO and C50 are 65 mesh.

5. The method according to claim 2 in which the refractory is burned in excess of 3,000' F.

i t i i CGPRECTZGIJ Patent No. Dated Oct'ober 26; 1971 Inventgr s Frederick J. fa-eter- It is certified that errcr appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shox-m below:

Clai n 2, line 15, cha

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

. c. MARSHALL DAMN Attes'ting Officsr Commissioner of Patents 

2. A method of making ceramically bonded refractory comprising the steps of:
 2. tempering the batch with a temporary binder and a tempering fluid,
 3. shaping the refractory,
 3. A method according to claim 2 in which the alumina is sized so that at least 50 percent rests on 65 mesh and the remainder passes 65 mesh.
 4. The method according to claim 2 in which the MgO and Cr2O3 are -65 mesh.
 4. burning the refractory in excess of 2,800* F., whereby said refractory develops a microstructure characterized by coarse alumina grains having Cr2O3 in sOlid solution, said alumina grains knitted together by a solid solution of MgO.Cr2O3.A12O3 spinel.
 5. The method according to claim 2 in which the refractory is burned in excess of 3,000* F. 